The invention relates to an apparatus .[.and method.]. by means of which standard television receivers can be utilized as active rather than passive instruments. this is accomplished by certain embodiments having participants manipulate controls of a control unit connected to the television receiver to cause a symbol, such as a rectangle, bar, "dot" or a pair of dots to be displayed upon the television screen by means of which the participants can play a variety of games.[., participate in simulated training programs, as well as carry out other activities.].. By way of example, modified versions of the well-known game of checkers may be played by two participants by placing an appropriate mask representing the checker board upon the screen of the television receiver. .[.For a simulated training program, "dots" displayed on the TV screen could represent ships which would be maneuvered by operating manipulating controls..].
Heretofore, color and monochrome television receivers have been used by the home and the other viewers only as passive devices; i.e., the television receiver is used only as a display means for programming originating at a studio. The viewer is limited to selecting the presentations available for viewing and is not a participant to the extent that he can control or influence the nature of, or add to the presentation displayed on the receiver screen. A standard receiver is employed with auxiliary equipment to provide an active form of home entertainment. Since most homes are equipped with television receivers, the only expense required to provide added family enjoyment is the expense of a control unit of one type or another.
It is, therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and methods for displaying video signals upon the screen of a television receiver, where some or all of the video signals are both generated and controlled by the viewer.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method wherein a standard color or monochrome television receiver is utilized as an active instrument .[.for simulated training programs and.]. to play various types of games involving one or more participants.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device whereby an individual may pit his alertness, skill, manual dexterity and visual acuity on automatically controlled video displays.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which will also provide visual indication of the results of the games played .[.and the simulated training programs..].
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which will generate "dots" or other geometric figures such as squares, rectangles, bars, stripes, etc. .[.Which.]. .Iadd.which .Iaddend.may be controlled by one or more participants for playing various types of games .[.and for training simulation.]. by the display and utilization of the "dots."
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which may allow one or more participants to use a standard television set while receiving background and other pertinent pictorial information from a cooperative commercial TV, closed-circuit TV, or CATV station, thus combining or alternating studio and home-generated information on the TV screen.
It is still another object of the present invention to allow the use of a standard TV set for gaming .[.or other activities.]. without the need for any kind of internal electrical connection to the TV set for the introduction of video and/or chroma signals, connections being required to be made only to the externally accessible antenna terminals.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide for interrogating a standard TV receiver through an optical photosensor in a manner allowing the identification of a suitably time-or frequency-coded message, not interpretable by the unaided eye, such message having been originated in the TV viewers equipment by a cooperative commercial TV, closed-circuit TV or CATV station.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus for decoding messages on a TV screen.